Team Talks: Lee Smith on Commercial at Ellard

At Ellard, commercial is about much more than contracts and figures — it’s about bridging the gap between product design, manufacturing, and customer experience.

Lee Smith, Head of Commercial, embodies this approach by ensuring transparency and consistency across each department he manages and every stage of the customer journey.

With a career that spans manufacturing, project management, and commercial leadership, Lee brings a unique, end-to-end perspective. Having experienced the full product lifecycle, he understands the challenges that can arise at each stage and works to resolve them swiftly, whether that’s on the shop floor, in discussions with customers, or at the strategic level.

Central to Lee’s approach is honesty and clear communication. Customers want reliability above all else, and Lee stresses the importance of delivering on promises. If a product isn’t available, the focus is on sourcing, testing, and making it accessible, always with transparency at the heart of the process.

A key part of Ellard’s strategy is listening closely to customers. By distinguishing between their needs, wants, and desires, Lee ensures that immediate priorities are met while also guiding innovation for the future. This customer-first mindset directly informs Ellard’s product development, where rigorous testing and careful selection ensure high-quality solutions.

For Lee, success is measured not in grand gestures but in meaningful improvements.

Whether enhancing a product, streamlining a process, or elevating the customer experience, the goal is always the same: to add value every day.

Why We’re Sharing These Stories

This interview with Lee is part of our new Team Talks series — a way for us to introduce the people behind Ellard. By sharing the experiences and perspectives of our team, we want to give our customers a better understanding of who we are, what we do, and how we work.

Keep an eye out for more Team Talks coming soon, as we continue to showcase the people driving Ellard forward.